One application for a power assisted drinking vessel is in the health industry. In dentistry after a tooth is extracted, a patient can develop a so-called “dry socket” at the site of the extracted tooth if they drink liquids using a straw, due to the vacuum created in the mouth when sucking liquids through the straw. In addition drinking from a cup may be initially difficult after dental surgery due to the numb lips of the patient making it difficult to sense and seal against the edge of a cup and ingest the liquid contents. Placing the power assisted cup drinking straw into the patient's mouth negates both of these problems and allows the patient to ingest the required liquids.
When surgery on a patient's mouth or jaw is performed, it often is required that the patients jaw is wired shut for extended periods of time to enable a proper healing process. This requires that is food is injected into the patient's mouth using a syringe. The power assisted drinking cup described herein eliminates the discomfort, displeasing aesthetics and tediousness of syringe feeding and similar feeding processes by assisting the patient with power assisted delivery of liquids from a handheld cup. The power assisted cup would be utilized within hospitals in post-surgery circumstances when assistance is needed with hydration or intake of fluidized medication or vitamins. Those that are unable to drink by using a straw due to the deterioration of facial or other muscles, such as after a stroke, would also benefit through the use of powered liquid delivery. Within the health industry, occupational therapists may use the power assisted drinking cup for rehabilitation purposes when individuals lose some motor ability to intake liquids themselves. The elderly may struggle with the use of a conventional cup with or without a straw. The power assisted drinking cup described herein aids in the intake of liquid substances for the elderly.
Other applications of the power assisted drinking cup described herein may include novelty uses ranging from backyard entertainment, parties, night clubs or any location where cold drinks may be served or consumed. It may also find use in sports by providing athletes with a convenient and easy way to hydrate them without the need to take off for example a hockey or football mask to have a drink. A conventional plastic squeezable water bottle is not as practical for when squeezed the volume and force of liquid expelled is unpredictable and varies depending on the force applied to the bottle or the volume of liquid within the bottle. The power assisted drinking cup provides an adjustable but consistent, steady discharge of liquid from an on-board fluid reservoir in the cup. Due to the novelty appeal of the cup it may be used for promotional activities to targeted recreational markets by using the cup as a platform for corporate logos and secondary product promotion.
In the prior art the applicant is aware of the following prior art:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,300, Coonradt, October 1990 “Insulated Drinking container”, describes an insulated drinking container having an insulated cup and an insulated lid which is threadably engagable over the open upper end of the cup. The lid includes an integrally formed grasping handle and an elongated centrally disposed, downwardly extending straw housing.
The straw housing includes a stationary straw which extends downward to the bottom of the cup and a removable straw slidably translatable up and down in the stationary housing adjacent the stationary straw between a downward stored position fully within the straw housing and an upward sipping position extended above the lid. Only when in its sipping position is the removable straw, having an aperture formed through its wall for this purpose, in liquid communication with the stationary straw so that liquid in the container may be removed. Pressurizing and suction features which automatically urge the removable straw upward to its sipping position and downward to its stored position are also disclosed. Electrically powered features such as a pump, switch, or batteries are not disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,284,050, Montgomery, “Drinking vessel with integral locating device”. A drinking vessel is described, which has an attached wireless electronic locator system comprised of a detachable drinking vessel base housing having an internal receiver and a speaker powered by a rechargeable battery when the drinking vessel is placed on a contact surface portion of a charging base. The drinking vessel base and internal electronics are separate and removable which allows the drinking vessel to be washed and/or sterilized. A button on the recharging base activates a transmitter which signals the receiver on the drinking vessel to activate an audible alarm on the drinking vessel base. An illuminated lamp to further aid in finding the drinking vessel when misplaced is also provided. The charging base and transmitter receive electrical power from a standard wall outlet. The battery is used to flash integrated lights and audio alerts to provide a means to locate the cup.
US Patent Application US2010/0092309 A1 “Drinking straw pump apparatus and method for using” April 2010. A disposable drinking straw is described that contains within it a manual pump and integrated valves enabling the user to manually pump liquid into the user's mouth.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,358,237 B1, Paukovits, March 2002, “Methods and apparatus for delivering liquid to a patient”. A system using a standalone pump is described, wherein the system is controlled by micro-processors, sensors and various command instruments to pump liquid using a peristaltic pump into a patient's mouth.